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India.com
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet actor who once used to sell bread for a living, faced several rejections, became a star with one movie, he is..., the movie was...
While Bollywood celebrates its biggest stars, there are names like Pavan Malhotra, whose career quietly speaks volumes. Known for his powerful performances in films like Black Friday, Delhi 6, and Bhag Milkha Bhag, the actor turned 66 today—but his success was hard-earned. Before becoming a respected name in Indian cinema, Malhotra had a long road paved with rejections, delayed payments, and erased roles. Yet, he never gave up—and never took a single rupee from his family. In a candid interview with Rediff, Malhotra revealed how rough his early days were. He said, 'I worked as an assistant on the show 'Yeh Jo Zindagi Hai.' The pay was barely enough. I struggled, but never once asked my father for money,' he recalled. To survive, he took on multiple odd jobs, like working at a bread factory, sold leftover breads, fed cattles. His hustle wasn't glamorous, but it laid the foundation for a work ethic that would eventually bring him national recognition. The multiple rejections that he faced Malhotra faced multiple rejections from top banners like Yash Raj Films and filmmakers like Subhash Ghai. However, years later, the same production houses welcomed him in iconic roles: Bade Bhai in Badmaash Company (YRF) Ganga Ram in Pardes (Subhash Ghai) He attributes his perseverance to valuable advice from Amrish Puri, which changed his mindset and gave him the strength to keep moving. The gamechanger: Nukkad His big break came in 1986 with the cult-classic Doordarshan show Nukkad, where he played the beloved character Hari. The show made him a household name and opened the floodgates to other acting opportunities. He went on to appear in acclaimed TV shows such as CID, Aahat, Lagi Tujhse Lagan, and Khidki—alongside a strong filmography including: City of Jiy, Shaitan, OMG 2, 72 Hoorain, Don, Jab We Met. The legacy continues Today, Pavan Malhotra stands tall among cinema's most dependable performers. His story isn't one of overnight fame—but of quiet resilience, delayed applause, and a career built on consistency, not hype.


New Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Why did CPM not protest Pinarayi's detention during Emergency, asks Goa governor
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai severely criticised the CPM for not protesting against the arrest and detention of Pinarayi Vijayan during Emergency. 'Pinarayi Vijayan was beaten up and detained in his innerwear. I wonder why was there no protest by the CPM in its stronghold Kannur against this. It was fear,' he said. Pillai was speaking at the release of his two books here on Tuesday. The function was attended by Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar and Andhra Pradesh Governor Syed Abdul Nazeer. Pillai said his book on Emergency gives due credit to Pinarayi's fight because justice should be done. 'My publisher has uploaded 10 pages of my book on Rediff. In that Pinarayi is featured in his innerwear and it reached the world over. The biggest beneficiary of my book is Pinarayi,' he said. Pillai said the only organisation which took to the streets against Emergency was the 'Lok Sangharsh Samiti' which had the backing of RSS. 'Around 8,000 people under the Samiti's banner protested without fearing arrest or jail. Still, it is not mentioned in Emergency-related articles by mainstream media,' he said. All media succumbed to the pressure of Indira Gandhi fearing arrest. Only Ramnath Goenka was an exception. He was a fighter, Pillai said. Pillai criticised Pinarayi for misinterpreting facts in his media address recently. Constitutional supremacy is a cornerstone of modern democratic governance, said Syed Abdul Nazeer. 'Constitutional supremacy ensures that the Constitution remains the highest source of law and that all other laws and governmental decisions are subject to its authority,' he said.


News18
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Karisma Kapoor's Marriage To Sunjay Kapoor Was 'Arranged With Help Of Friends': 'My Parents Will…'
Last Updated: Karisma Kapoor and Sunjay Kapoor's marriage was arranged by their families, but the relationship later turned sour, ending in a highly publicised divorce. Businessman Sanjay Kapur, who was once married to actress Karisma Kapoor, passed away on June 12, 2025, while playing polo in Windsor, England. Sunjay Kapur's death reason is reported as a heart attack. He accidentally swallowed a bee during the match, which caused a severe allergic reaction and led to a cardiac arrest. Despite medical help on-site, he could not be saved. Karisma Kapoor and Sanjay Kapur's Marriage Karisma Kapoor married Sanjay Kapur on September 29, 2003, in a grand but private ceremony in Mumbai. The match had been arranged, and Karisma and her father Randhir Kapoor had confirmed this in early interviews at the time. When asked about the wedding, Randhir Kapoor had told Rediff back in the day, 'We will be able to give you the date in a couple of days. The wedding is an arranged one. Both Karisma and Sunjay have known each other but the alliance has been fixed with the help of common friends." Karisma, on her part, had said, 'My parents will decide [her marriage] for me." See more: Before Sunjay Kapur, Karisma Kapoor Was All Set To Marry Abhishek Bachchan: 'It Feels Wonderful…' A Marriage That Turned Messy In the years that followed, Karisma and Sanjay's marriage began to fall apart. Sunjay, married to Karisma from 2003 to 2016, shared two children with her – daughter Samaira and son Kiaan. The former couple welcomed their daughter Samaira Kapur in 2005. Their family was completed after the arrival of their son Kiaan in 2011. However, their relationship broke down badly. Karisma later accused Sanjay of mistreating her, even during their honeymoon, and accused him of multiple affairs. Sanjay, on the other hand, claimed she had married him only for his wealth. The divorce process was long and rather public. After years of separation, they finally divorced in 2016. It was widely reported as one of the messiest breakups in Bollywood circles. Sunjay Kapur married Priya Sachdev after his divorce from Karisma. Priya had a daughter, Safira Chatwal, from her previous marriage with Vikram Chatwal. In 2018, Sunjay and Priya were blessed with a son, Azarius. Sunjay Kapur funeral The funeral and last rites of entrepreneur and polo player will be held in New Delhi on Thursday, June 19. First Published: June 19, 2025, 09:06 IST


Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Bollywood star who worked with Rishi Kapoor, Shabana Azmi was arrested for trying to enter an ashram, has been missing for 20 years despite Rishi trying to find him
Bollywood movie stars enjoy the riches and fame that come with their profession but if, unfortunately, their life takes a turn that isn't as glamorous, all of this can turn tragic, and something similar happened with yesteryear star Raj Kiran. Raj is still fondly remembered for his work in films like Karz and Arth, and during the 1980s, he appeared in a bunch of films which helped him get established as the new star on the block. However, life as he knew it, wasn't as kind to him and a few years later, Raj went missing. After many leading roles, Raj started appearing in supporting roles in the early 1990s, before he disappeared from the films. After being locked up in Bengaluru Central Jail for nearly a month in 1996, he appeared in some other films as well. It was, perhaps, during this time that director Mahesh Bhatt met him at a mental health facility, and a few years later, Raj went missing, and even his family couldn't find him. To date, there is no trace of Raj and no one knows if he is alive or dead. Raj Kiran made his debut with the 1975 film Kaagaz Ki Nao, and was soon seen in the film Kissa Kursi Ka, a political satire which was banned during the Emergency. It was his role in the 1980 film Karz, starring Rishi Kapoor, that Raj stepped into the spotlight. He had a supporting role in the film but the success of Subhash Ghai's film did wonders for him as well, and soon he started landing major roles. In 1982, he scored another win when he appeared in Mahesh Bhatt's Arth as the man who is ready to support the woman he loves, even if she doesn't choose him. After this too, Raj appeared in a plethora of films across the decade but somewhere in the mid 1990s, he took a break from the movies. In 1996, a crime reporter found him at Bengaluru Central Jail where he was imprisoned for trespassing the Puttaparthi Sai Baba Ashram, and it appeared that his family members didn't even know about it. As per Deccan Herald, he hired a tractor and a ladder and tried to break into the ashram at night. A few days after the news was reported, his father bailed him out. The following year, in 1997, Raj gave an interview to Cineblitz, where he said that the matter was 'blown out of proportion.' 'The trauma that I faced when I was put in jail, is indescribable. You can never understand the fear one feels, when you are told that you cannot be bailed out. I spent 34 days in jail and sitting there, I was not sure if I would ever be free. That is a very scary feeling,' he said. ALSO READ | Bollywood's biggest hairstylist died penniless, family was left with 'nothing to eat' despite counting Bachchans, Kapoors as friends At the time, it was said that Raj had spent some time in America with his brother Govind, and was planning to go back. But, it was somewhere after this, perhaps, that director Mahesh Bhatt, who worked with Raj in Arth, met the actor at a mental health facility in Byculla, Mumbai. Bhatt, in a 2011 chat with Rediff, shared that he met Raj 'many years ago when he was in the psychiatric ward of Masina Hospital. He was not the Raj Kiran I had interacted with. This was a sombre-looking, depressed individual and with great difficulty he communicated with me. There was no joie de vivre, no energy that he exuded every time he met us; his friends, that is.' Mahesh said that after Raj came back from the hospital, he got in touch with the director. 'We tried to give him some work, a role here and there but once the word gets around that you are mentally unstable, nobody wants to touch you with a barge pole,' Bhatt said and shared that it was after this, that Raj moved to the US and started staying with his brother Govind. After his move to the US, Raj stayed with his family for some time but one day, he went missing. After reports surfaced in 2011 that he was in a mental health facility in Atlanta, as actor Rishi Kapoor had found out, his daughter Rishika came forth and explained that this wasn't the case, and that he was still missing. 'He is not in Atlanta. We have been looking for him for over eight years. We have involved the New York police and hired private detectives to find him. But he's not been found,' she told Mid-day. Rishika shared that he was last seen in new York and mentioned that it was 'very out of character for him to not inform us about his whereabouts.' She further added, 'He was the most loving father. Yes, he suffered from a bit of mental illness before he disappeared. We wanted to deal with this on our own, but those false reports forced me to come out in the open. I think this is totally unfair on my mother.' ALSO READ | Star of Bollywood's Golden Era died penniless due to flamboyant lifestyle, influenced Amitabh Bachchan and won praise from Mahatma Gandhi At the time, Rishi told Subhash K Jha in an interview that he had been in touch with Raj's brother Govind and it was Govind who told him that Raj was at a mental health facility in Atlanta. 'I was so relieved when Govind told me Raj was alive. But he was confined to an institution in Atlanta due to health problems.' In the same interview, Rishi shared that as per Govind, Raj was looking after his own treatment by working at the institution. Rishi shared that Raj's family members were not in touch with him anymore and as much as he tried to find him, he couldn't get in touch with the actor. Rishi was told that since Raj had invested well, he wasn't facing any financial difficulty. In 2011, actor Deepti Naval, who also worked with Raj in the film, Hip Hip Hurray, put up a Facebook post urging people to look for Raj as she had heard that he was last spotted driving a cab on the streets of New York. It's been years since anyone heard from the actor. Even by his daughter's admission in 2011, where she confessed to last seeing him in 2003, it has been over 20 years since anyone heard about his whereabouts.


India.com
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Why did 1993 Miss India Namrata Shirodkar leave Bollywood? Did she sacrifice her career for husband, or it was...
Before choosing a quieter life away from the arc lights, Namrata Shirodkar had carved a niche with memorable performances in films like Vaastav and Pukar . She even made an international appearance alongside Aishwarya Rai in Bride and Prejudice . But while Bollywood had its doors wide open for her, Namrata drew her boundaries — and stuck to them firmly. In a throwback interview with Rediff, Namrata admitted to turning down multiple offers that required her to perform intimate or bold scenes. 'So many!' she said when asked if she was offered such roles. 'But I'm not comfortable doing such things. I will not kiss or make love on screen. I'm not desperate. Thank God I come from a safe background.' Her decision wasn't limited to just selective scripts. After marrying Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu in 2005, Namrata consciously chose to step away from acting altogether. Speaking to journalist Prema, she revealed, 'Mahesh was very clear about wanting a non-working wife. Even if I had a corporate job, he would have asked me to quit. We had something very special between us.' Namrata and Mahesh met on the sets of Vamsi in 2000, and while sparks flew early on, the couple kept their relationship under wraps for a while. The former Miss India (1993), crowned at just 21, eventually shifted her focus entirely to family life. Today, Namrata and Mahesh are parents to two children — their daughter Sitara, a budding social media star, and a son who has already made brief appearances in films. Namrata's on-screen journey may have been short, spanning just 14 films, but her graceful exit and steadfast choices continue to be remembered and respected.